Help with heating costs?

Information_Officer · 23 October 2008 at 12:34PM

Listed below are the contact details for the main providers, and details of the schemes that they offer:

BRITISH GAS ESSENTIALS: offers eligible pre-payment and credit consumers the same unit prices as Direct Debit customers. To qualify you must be in receipt of certain benefits. For more information on Essentials please call 0800 072 7100

EDF ENERGY ENERGY ASSIST: this tariff offers a 15% reduction for consumers who receive Pension Credit, Income Support or are in fuel poverty (spend 10% or more of income on fuel). To find out more about Energy Assist, call 0800 328 9010

E.ON ENERGY STAYWARM: offers fixed monthly payments by Direct Debit to older people. Payment levels depend on size of home, number of occupants and annual consumption. For more details about the Staywarm scheme call 0800 169 4694

NPOWER SPREADING WARMTH: This tariff offers consumers a £125 annual discount for fuel supplied by npower. This tariff is only available to household with an income less than £13500 and who are over 60, living with a chronic disability or illness or living with a child under 16. For more details about this scheme call 0800 975 1373

SCOTTISH POWER CAREFREE PLUS: available to consumers 60+ who don’t pay by Direct Debit and are in receipt of certain benefits. To find out more call 0141 568 2928

SOUTHERN ELECTRIC ENERGYPLUS CARE: offers a 20% reduction on the current fuel bill. This scheme takes into account annual fuel costs, household income and other special circumstances. For more information call 0800 622 838

zzzLazyDaisy · 23 October 2008 at 3:48PM

Thanks for this Information Officer.

Can I just clarify the N-power discount. I read that this isn't a £125 cash reduction on your bill, but £125 off the standard rate tariff, so that if you are on a cheaper on-line tariff, the actual cash discount received by the customer is quite a bit less than £125.

Is this correct? Any further info would be really useful.

Many thanks

colin13 · 23 October 2008 at 7:26PM

i Have MS also and feel the cold i am with scottish power i phoned and asked about there carefree scheme i got a phone call back sayin the tarriff i am on is cheaper than carefree sounds silly to me but give ur provider a call and c wot they can do good luck

swecri · 23 October 2008 at 8:08PM

Winter Fuel Payments for people with Raynaud's
I am a 21 year old sufferer of Raynaud's, Lupus SLE and another related connective tissue called Scleroderma. These conditions are complex and often difficult to understand and manage, however my main symptoms are triggered from being in environments with temperature below 22 degrees.
When I am exposed to the cold, I develop ulcers on my hands, ears and elbows which are excruciating. I always need horrible medical treatment as an in-patient in hospital and this has a difficult effect on my life particularly during the winter.
My partner and are fortunate enough to own our own house, however the winter heating bills really are extortionate often leading us to the choice of debt, or not having the heating on at all. I need the heating on all year round particularly the winter.
I am trying to establish whether there is any way that Winter Fuel Payments can be considered under the circumstances, or if anyone has had success in claiming Winter Fuel Payments which are usually only available to the over 60's?
My condition is chronic and progressive, and another thing I need to consider is I am also five months through a very difficult and risky pregnancy and I am keen to continue to do everything I can to prevent further complications to my own body and to the baby. I also want to try and do everything I can to slow the progression of the diseases and I know help financially would help me to achieve this.

swecri · 23 October 2008 at 8:09PM

I don't know if anyone else suffers from Raynaud's but it can be an unforgiving disease, and very often makes me really split financially. I get a little upset when I have the heating bills come through, because it is hard enough paying for a mortgage without the additional high heating bills. It just doesn't seem fair, or consistant. The government won't help pay for my heating, yet this often causes the NHS to have to pick up an even bigger bill when I'm admited into hospital for weeks and weeks. It's not fun either!! My Grandparents are luckey enough to live in a well insulated 1st floor flat and they have a !!!!!! payment of £200 every year. Yet they never use their heating for more than a hour a day. Yet mine is on as much as I can afford, because I am poorly otherwise!!! My Grandparents are luckey I know, but their heating bill doesn't even come to £200 over the entire winter!!! It's so frustrating!!

zzzLazyDaisy · 23 October 2008 at 10:01PM

Hi, Swecri ((((hugs)))) my dad has reynauds and I know how horrible it can be.

I found this information about disabled facilities grant. This is probably not your area, so you will need to make local enquiries, but I did notice that it includes grants for adequate heating - I know that isn't directly helping to pay your heating bills, but it might help you to (say) install a more efficient and economical heating system?

http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/General.asp?id=SX9452-A77FA2D8

I'm not aware of WFpayment being made to disabled people, but I would be interested if anyone does know of any form of help with heating bills for disabled people as I also suffer terribly with the cold and, like many disabled people, the heating bill is the single biggest drain on my finances.

lourhys · 24 October 2008 at 10:01AM

If you ring your energy providers and tell them someone in the home is disabled they usually will all give a discount, usually around 10% HTH

linwren · 24 October 2008 at 12:19PM

Hi. Unfortunately there is no extra funding for disabled folk. The assumption is that you get IS and DLA and that should be enough. If you happen to be married and he/she is in full time work it's worse. Well, we know it's not. I have Raynauds that has come through Rheumatoid Arthritis and it can be a real misery if you get cold 'cause you seize up. I use water bottles and when it gets too tough I go to bed. Nice life eh? There is a petition at No.10 to increase funding for IS etc. Log on and sign it. The more that do the more likely they are to listen.
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/icomesupport/
Changed my fuel supplier from EDF to EBICO and got a great rate for charging my wheelchair. EDF came to check and was amazed how low I was being charged and no extras for prepaid meters either. Did the happy dance..well, sort of

Careful_with_that_Axe · 24 October 2008 at 12:23PM

Louise_Davies wrote: »

I have MS and need my room temperature to be around 24c to stop my hans, feet etc from going white and cold as ice. At the moment I'm using a calor gaz heater to heat the living room to a decent temperature even if the rest of the house is freezing.

Does anyone know of any help with heating costs for the disabled as there are for pensioners?

Have you considered a halogen heater for the living room? They are very effective and quite cheap to run.
I have Reynaulds in my feet and find that this and a snuggly blanket keep me comfortable in the living room when its cold.

swecri · 24 October 2008 at 5:22PM

Do people think it is fair to ask the Government for help with the cost of heating bills? When there is a significant risk to health otherwise? Because I have posted this on another forum and the general attitude seems to be that 'its not the governments responsibility to keep me warm??!' I was a little surprise, considering I don't have the heating on, inevitably become quite ill, and then wind up in hospital having steroids, lung function tests, and illoprost. All of which are not cheap for the nhs

Help with heating costs?

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free